Pumpkin-Ginger Souffle

Nothing says Fall like the bright orange and reds that surround the season.

The glow of flickering candles set in hollowed-out pumpkins. Crimson leaves swept aside by an errant football. Classroom displays of construction-paper cornucopias and scissor-cut turkey feathers. A scarecrow, straw tumbling from his furrowed brow, as he patrols a lonely field. Thoughts of the harvest and a Thanksgiving meal.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter four 6-ounce ramekins, and dust the bottom and sides of the dish with sugar. Refrigerate the ramekins until ready.

2. In a medium saucepan, bring the soy milk to a boil over medium heat. Add the ginger, remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let the ginger steep for 30 minutes. Strain the soy milk and discard the ginger.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Whisk in the flour until well combined. Gradually add the soymilk, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. Return the yolk mixture to the saucepan. Set the heat to medium. Whisking constantly, cook the mixture until it thickens to the consistency of a custard, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, whisk in the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.

4. With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy and slightly opaque. Once opaque, and with the mixer running, add the cream of tartar, then add the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until the egg whites are stiff, but not dry. Fold 1/4 of the egg whites into the pumpkin-ginger mixture, until fully incorporated. Fold in the remaining egg whites. Pour the batter into the prepared ramekins, filling them until just below the top.

5. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet, and bake the soufflés until they have risen above the rim and the tops are golden brown – between 30 and 35 minutes. Serve immediately – either plain, or with a dollop of cold whipped cream!

The souffle is as good as it looks, and the ginger flavor (which I love) really came through. Next time, though, you shouldn’t toss all of those seeds — I make an excellent batch of roasted, spiced pumpkin seeds.